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E. MACRAE E C. F. TAVENER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. No. 366,634. Patented July 12, 1887` Ilm'.

N. PETEBS Phom-Lilhagnphur. washington, D,cA

E Aforney g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RODERIOK MAORAE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, AND CHARLES F. TAV-O ENER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,` ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO PETER DEVENEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC swlTcH. y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,634, dated July 12, 1887.

Application filed October 27, 1886. Serial No. 217,360. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, RoDERIcK MAORAE, of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, and CHAELEs F. TA vENER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, both citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the ac- Io companying drawings.

' This invention relates to a switch for making,breaking, throwing in, and cutting out, and otherwise controlling electrical circuits, and although hereinafter described in its applica tion to au electric light or lamp circuit, the invention is adapted for use in connection with any electric system or system of circuits.

The general object in view is to provide a switch in which sparks will not occur at the contact-points at the instant of separation or connection of one circuit from or with another.

subordinate object in view is the provislon of mechanical devices for suddenly transferring` the movable contact-plate from one position to the other when connecting or cutting o ff a circuit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the followingr description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figurel is a plan of a switch constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line X X of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line Y Y of Fig. l, relative positions being changed for the purpose of illustration.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings. l

In the use of the well-known spring-jack77 electric switch for strong currents sparks occur at the place of contact, and in time the switch becomes fused or otherwise fouled, so as to render its operation imperfect, whereby on inserting the wedge of that form of switch one circuit is not well closed before the other is opened. i Y

TWe employ, iu connection with the wedge, a pivotcd contact-plate, which is also curved or convex at its contact-face, so that sparks cannot occur at the actual contact point of the 5o plate; but if they do occur at all they must occur at the ends ot' the plate, so that the plate is never fused atthe point where the contact finally rests; and, furthermore, by the action as hereinafter described the plate is sel fcleaning at said point.

Upon any suitable base or support, A, there are arranged binding-'posts 1, 4, 7, and 9. The posts 1 and 7 are formed as, or electrically connected with, brackets B B', respectively, and upon the former is secured a 'flat spring, C, formed of electrically-conductive material, and having one end coiled about the bracket B for the simple purpose of giving the desired resiliency or extent aud freedom of movement to its opposite end,which is adapted for the pivotal attachment thereto of our contact-plate D. From the bracket B there is extended a spring, E, toward and in line with the spring C.

The binding-post 4 is formed on or electrically connected with a contact-plate, F, arranged below the spring O and the shoe or contact-plate D. The post 9 is formed or electrically connected with a plate, G, arranged parallel with the springs C and E and pro- 7 5 vided with a standard, G', opposite the post 9, and with a guide-rod, G2, extending from the standard to the post. The plate G may also be provided with a longitudinal guiding iiange, Gf. yoke portion H of one side, H2, of a wedge, H, the opposite side, IF, of which is separated from the side H2 by a block of insulatingmaterial, H", and the three parts are bound together by screws H5, passing therethrough. S 5

H6 represents the neck, which connects the yoke H with the side H2 of the wedge. Between the arms of the yoke H and upon the the rod G2 are mounted the ends l of a coiled spring, I, the said ends being curved about 9o the rod in the vform of eyes, so as to retain said ends in connection with the rod and permit of free longitudinal movements thereof upon the rod. The yoke is adapted by the same construction to partake of the same movements.

' J represents a pivoted lever, the pivot J of which is secured iu the base or support A,

Upon the rod G2 is mounted the and the inner end of which is formed as a sector, J2, having lugs J, adapted to embrace or partially embrace the arms of the spri ng l'. The sector end of the lever is also provided with transversely-wedgeshaped lugs J t, which project beneath the plate G.

rlhe plate G is slotted longitiulinally beneath the rod G for the reception otlatches l, supportedin the slot by the pivots K. Beneath the outer ends of the latches are arranged springs K2 for rendering the action of the latches more positive than if' the action of gravity at their innerends were solely relied upon.

Stops L are arranged upon the base or support A, to determine the extent of the movements ofthe sector end of' the lever J'.

The mechanical operation of our invention is as follows: rlaking the parts as illustrated in Fig. l., the wedge ll being between the contact-plate F and the shoe D, the latter resting horizontally upon the upper side, H, of the wedge, the latter is quickly thrown from' between the plates toward and beneath the spring E by moving the free end of the lever J to the right. rlhe iirst function of the lever is t0 compress the right arm ot' the spring toward the lef't arm, thereby storing` power which shall suddenly throw the yoke and the wedge connected therewith when the projection .l shall arrive at and pass beneath the free end of the latch l, which until this time has remained in contact with the right arm of the yoke to hohl the left arm of the spring against movement upon the rod while the right arm is being compressed. The ad vaneement ofthe wedge-shaped lug .T during the latter part of the movement of" the sector end of the lever lifts the f'rec cnd of the latch, which releases the yoke, and it is suddenly forced by the compressed spring to the opposite end ofthe rod upon which it is mounted, when the opposite latch, forced upwardly by its spring li, assumes the position to retain the yoke at that end of' the rod until it is rcleased by an opposite movement of the sector end of the lever and thrown by a compression of' the spring duri ngsaid operation ofthelevcr.

By reference to Fig. 3 the advantage of' the shoe f'orm given to the contact-plate l) will be clearly understood. The position illustrated is that assumed bythe shoe when passing from the plate-F to the plate lff, and it will be seen that a substantially complete connection of' the shoe and plate lf at and along the central portion ot'the former occurs before the former has entirely left or is entirely separated from the plate F. Now, sparks occur only at the point of' making or breaking thev circuit, it will be seen that in this instance they must occur at the end of' the shoe, and therefore its actual contact-point, which is substantially the central portion of its lower face, is pre' served from injury by sparks, and at the same time is rendered self-cleaning in vits movements against and upon the insulating material and upper plate et' the wedge.

Taking the electricalconnections and circuits illustrated in Fig. l, the latter being a main circuit connected with the posts l and t and a lamp-circuit connected with the posts 7 and Q, the electrical operation of ou r invention as follows: rlhere is a connection formed between the pests l and 7 electrically by means of' the spring C, shoe D, and plate lf." of thc wedge, and the spring lll, it being understood, as described, that the posts l and 7 are electrically connected with the spring by thc brackets l l. From the post 7 the current traverses the lamp-circuit to the post f), and through the yoke and neck of the lower "plate, lf2, ofthe wedge to said lower plate, and :from thence tothe plate Fand post et, electrically connected therewith, at which point the main circuit isioined. By operating the lever J, as described, the wedge is thrown from between the slice and the plate F to and bcncath the spring E, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l. The lamp-circuit is now cnt out and the main circuit completed or closed by the contact of' the shoe ff) with the plate F.

M represents rubberor othersuitable bu fl'crs mounted upon the rod G2 to neutralize the mechanical shock or blow of the yoke against the post 9 and standard G" when thrown by the spring.

Having described the consta'uction and op eration of' our invention, what we claim isl. ln an electrical switch, a curved switchplate pivotally connected with a spring, in combination with a spring-actuatcd sliding` wedge, substantially as specified.

2. In an electrical switch, the combination of' a wedge, a fixed contact-plate, and a een trally and yieldingly pivcted curved 'contact plate, substantially as. specified.

L. In an electrical switch, a wedge mounted for reciproeation upon a red, spring-retaining latches, a spring, and a spring-compressing lever, substantially as specified.

4. lhecombiuatiom with fixed and movable contact-plates, of' awedge connected bya yoke with and forrcciprocation upona rod, aspring having its arms arranged upon the .rod within the yoke, and a spring-compressing lever, substantially as specified.

5. In an electrical switch, the shoe l), hav ing a convex contaet-facc, in combination with a sliding wedge, aspring, C, to which it is pilvotally connected, and with a binding-post, and a braclvet electrically connected with the bindingpost,substantially as specified.

fi. rlhe combination of' the binding-posts l and 4t, the plate F, the spring Cl, and the pivotcd shoe l), with a spi-ilig-actuated. wedge, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the bindingposts l, 1, 7, and 9, thesprings lll and C, the pivoted shoe D. plate F, and the wedge II, with the plate G, and devices for reciprocating the wedge upon the plate, substantially as speciA fied.

S. The combination of' the vided with plate G, prothc latches K and rod G, of a IOS IIO

'Wedgeyokeand spring' mounted upon the rod, latches K, the rod G2, and the Wedge-yoke and a `lever having latch-lifting lugs and mounted. thereon, and with the spring I, sub- I5 spring-operating lugs, substantially as speoistantially as specified.

ed. In testimonywhereof we afiix oursignatures 5 e 9. The combination of a Wedge and its yoke in presence of two witnesses.

with the plate G, having` the latches K and RODERIGK MAORAE. rod G2, and with the spring I, mounted on the (l1-IAS. F. TAVENER. rodV between the arms of the yoke, and a le- Vitnesses as to Roderick Maorae: ver constructed and arranged to first con1- THos. KELL BRADFORD, lo press the spring and afterward release alatch, XV. A. WALTER.

substantially as specified. Witnesses as to Chas. F. Tavener:

l0. The combination of the lever J, having PATRICK MCCAFFREY, the lugs J3 J4, with the plate G, having the GHAs. A. MGMILLAN. 

